


Home (The Place Where I Belong)

by helsinkibaby



Category: Law & Order
Genre: Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Fluff, Het, Post-Canon, Romance, february bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 09:42:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3405989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connie returns to New York for the weekend to let Cyrus know about her mom's condition. His reaction isn't what she expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home (The Place Where I Belong)

**Author's Note:**

> February Bingo: prompt "I'd do anything for you."

When it hit five o'clock on Friday, Cyrus shut down his laptop, grabbed his jacket and made for the door. "Don't worry, partner, I'll finish these fives," Bernard called after him teasingly, like he hadn't volunteered to do it, insisted actually, and Cyrus barely resisted the urge to give him a one-fingered salute in response. 

"You're a saint, Bernard," he said instead and Bernard rolled his eyes. 

"Original." He was serious suddenly. "Hey, tell Connie I said hello, ok?"

Cyrus nodded then he really did head for the door because traffic was going to be a bitch this time of day and sure enough the road to the airport was clogged with traffic. He'd left plenty of time though and he was still standing in the arrivals hall when Connie stepped through, weekend bag over her slumped shoulders. Cyrus took one look at her and pulled her into his arms because she looked like she needed a hug. She also looked like she'd lost a good five pounds since he'd last seen her only a couple of weeks ago and when he held her in his arms, he upped the estimate a little. 

She held on to him tightly and only when she loosened her grip did he let her go. "C'mon," he said, "let's get you home."

That was all he said as he took the bag from her shoulder, slinging it over one arm and tucking the other around her shoulders. She crossed her arms over her chest as they walked, leaning into him and when they got to the car she closed her eyes and fell into a doze almost straight away. 

He didn't mind in the least - she looked exhausted.   
   
Traffic was just as bad on the way back to his place, giving her a chance for a decent nap. He hated to wake her but when he did, she smiled at him, followed him into his apartment where Otto greeted her enthusiastically and she laughed as she scratched behind his ears. For a moment, she looked like his Connie again and Cyrus found himself smiling too. "Why don't you go take a shower?" he suggested. "I'll call for takeout... Chinese sound ok?"

"That sounds great," she said, standing on tiptoe as she passed him, pressing her lips to his. 

He kissed her back, tempted to change plans - it had been a long couple of weeks without her - but made himself step back, watch her walk towards the bathroom. 

By the time she emerged, the food had arrived and he smile again at the sight of her clad in sweatpants and a sweatshirt that had once been his. It reminded him of one of the first cases they'd worked together, going undercover as a married couple. He'd been so used to seeing her in her work clothes, seeing her dressed down had been a surprise, but a good one - he'd never seen sweats look so good and it had taken all his willpower not to tell her so. 

He spread the containers on the coffee table and they sat on the couch to eat and she asked him about his day first. He recognised the question for what it was, a way to delay telling him about the last few days of her life, a way to suspend reality for a while longer and he gladly obliged, peppering the stories with as many amusing anecdotes and asides as he could think of. Still there was only so long he could do that for before he had to ask the inevitable question. 

"How's your mom?"

Connie looked down, swallowed hard and he reached over and took his hand in hers. "Not great," she said finally. "Not as bad as she was, she's out of danger... but it's going to be a while before she's anything like back to normal"

Cyrus had either known or guessed as much. "Lots of therapy?" 

Connie nodded. "She'll be in the hospital for another couple weeks... then she can come home. We're looking at home help..."

She looked nervous suddenly and not for nothing had Cyrus spent four years in the intelligence division. "Will your brother and sister be able to take care of her?"

It was a guess but a good one and Connie's face was very serious as she shook her head. "No."

The word lay between them and Cyrus took in a deep breath, let it out slowly. "So what happens now?"

Connie's eyes filled with tears. "I talked to Jack... he knows some people in the Los Angeles D.A's office, he's going to make some calls. He also thinks there's a girl who'd like to sublet my apartment... So I need to organise storage and shipping and then..." She looked down as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Then I move back into my old bedroom and take care of my mom."

Cyrus let that sink in for a moment. "Old bedroom, huh?" He squeezed her hand and when she didn't look up, his other hand moved to under her chin, tilting her head up. "Does it have a double bed?" She frowned, not understanding and he continued, "Because it's a tight fit for us both if it doesn't, but I suppose we could always get a new one, or you know I'm not opposed to snuggling up with you..."

Her jaw dropped open as his meaning hit her. "You mean..."

He frowned, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Unless you don't want me out there..."

"No!" Her reply was instant. "But your job... and you have night school and your family..."

"Van Buren's already on board," he told her. "And Jenny and the kids are already planning a vacation, we may have to take them to the tourist traps that you hate... and I can take classes online, unless I can find a place where I can transfer my credits; I'm still looking into that..." Tears were streaming down her cheeks and he reached out to brush them away. "Are these because you're happy, or sad because you thought you were getting rid of me and now you're not?"

A swat of her hand answered that. "You'd do that for me?" she asked and Cyrus didn't think twice about his answer. 

"I'd do anything for you," he told her. "You don't know that?"

Connie didn't answer in words. Instead her arms went around his neck and she sobbed into his shoulder. 

All in all, it was close enough. 


End file.
